Jean Baudrillard's radical thinking, and its potential contribution to the sociology of higher education illustrated by debates about 'World-Class' universities

This article presents an argument for re-reading Jean Baudrillard's ideas considering their potential contribution to the sociology of higher education, particularly in relation to contemporary debates about 'world-class' universities. In order to apply Baudrillard's ideas, China...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International studies in sociology of education 2017-10, Vol.26 (4), p.337-352
Main Author: Blanco Ramírez, Gerardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baudrillard
Baudrillard, Jean
Case Studies
China
Colleges & universities
Educational Philosophy
Educational Policy
Educational Sociology
Educational systems
Figurative Language
Foreign Countries
Global Approach
Higher Education
Reputation
Social status
Sociology
Universities
world-class universities
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Summary:This article presents an argument for re-reading Jean Baudrillard's ideas considering their potential contribution to the sociology of higher education, particularly in relation to contemporary debates about 'world-class' universities. In order to apply Baudrillard's ideas, China's commitment to the development of 'world-class' universities is presented as a case study. Radical thinking, as understood by Baudrillard, relies on ambivalence and fascination - instead of critique - and seeks to push a logic to its limits rather than opposing it. Critiques of world-class universities have not stopped the totalizing effects of rankings and world-class status seeking; on the contrary, these phenomena and their effects continue to accelerate. A non-deterministic approach to thinking is set into motion around the paroxystic state that prevails in the pursuit of 'world-class' status among contemporary higher education systems.
ISSN:0962-0214
1747-5066
DOI:10.1080/09620214.2017.1322913